Dear Carlisle Go'ers... Your beer has Begun...

[ViperMan]

Last night I "mashed" the grains for this year's "Cuda Beer" as it's become known around the house.

This was the first beer, "Yeah It's a Hemi Orange" - it featured orange zest and mandarin vodka, as well as Challenger hops.  It was a "partial mash," meaning that most of it's flavor came from store-bought beer "extracts."


This was the second beer, "Mo' Porin' Ale" - A sessionable cream ale using flaked corn and a high-temp lager yeast.  It was so popular at home that it was rebrewed in January, 2013.  This was one of my first all-grain beers, meaning no extracts were used.


And now, for 2013....  Well OBVIOUSLY I'm not going to just TELL you what's in store!!!  But I'm returning to the fruit theme, and also giving our B-Body Brethren just a little nod.  Not only is this an all-grain batch, but last night I was able to extract 95% of the sugars from my grains - a level of efficiency often only achieved by major breweries.
But for the first time, I'll at least tease you guys a little... 


And I'll say this, 2013 has seen the hugest improvement with the quality of beers coming out of my house.  The last two I've finished were probably medal-contenders (and I can now say that I have beer-judging experience, so you can take that to the bank!)

I think you guys are in store for a quality MOPAR-Themed beer.    And as always, I'll be offering the BOTTLES (which may or may not be empty - winkywinky) for sale for $3.  I'm only brewing a little over one-case this year (I had 140 bottles of homebrew in April - I'm trying to downsize!) so supplies will be limited!!

Cheers!!
 

[ViperMan]

And since I'm a little bored, here's what else I've been up to this year.  These brews were all done between January and April.  As you can see, your 2013 "Cuda Beer" is featured front-and-center.  In fact, I have brewed this beer TWICE since January, trying two different recipes.  The second recipe was far better than the first, and I'm still planning just one or two little "tweaks" with the batch started yesterday.



From left to right, there's a cider (actually it was started prior to Carlisle 2012, but they take a long time to age) a hazelnut coffee sweet stout, an american pilsner or pale lager, a *mumblemumbleimnottellingmumble*, a pale ale, a cream stout, and a chocolate-raisin brown ale.

Also brewed since then was a Dopplebock (probably a disaster, but I haven't opened one yet) and an English IPA and a Black IPA.  Both were outstanding.

Here's the label for the Dopplebock.  Take this as a hint - I think 2014's Beer will FINALLY be Viper-Themed. 

(Notice the ABV at bottom-right?  Yeah - this beer is practically paint-thinner..)

 

[72cudamaan]

Well Viper. as usual I'd be good for a coupla bottles. We are planning on getting to  Carlisle
 but a big issue has come up for me so it's questionable at best right now.

[ChallengerHK]

And I can't be there. Wanna send a six pak (note the spelling ) to saudi arabia for me?